2.0 Wise use and management of resources

Ontario’s long-term prosperity, environmental health, and social well-being depend on conserving biodiversity, protecting the health of the Great Lakes, and protecting natural heritage, water, agricultural, mineral and cultural heritage and archaeological resources for their economic, environmental and social benefits.

Accordingly:

2.1 Natural heritage

2.1.1 Natural features and areas shall be protected for the long term.

2.1.2 The diversity and connectivity of natural features in an area, and the long-term ecological function and biodiversity of natural heritage systems, should be maintained, restored or, where possible, improved, recognizing linkages between and among natural heritage features and areas, surface water features and ground water features.

2.1.3 Natural heritage systems shall be identified in Ecoregions 6E & 7E1, recognizing that natural heritage systems will vary in size and form in settlement areas, rural areas, and prime agricultural areas.

2.1.4 Development and site alteration shall not be permitted in:

  1. significant wetlands in Ecoregions 5E, 6E and 7E1; and
  2. significant coastal wetlands.

2.1.5 Development and site alteration shall not be permitted in:

  1. significant wetlands in the Canadian Shield north of Ecoregions 5E, 6E and 7E1;
  2. significant woodlands in Ecoregions 6E and 7E (excluding islands in Lake Huron and the St. Marys River)1;
  3. significant valleylands in Ecoregions 6E and 7E (excluding islands in Lake Huron and the St. Marys River)1;
  4. significant wildlife habitat;
  5. significant areas of natural and scientific interest; and
  6. coastal wetlands in Ecoregions 5E, 6E and 7E1 that are not subject to policy 2.1.4(b)

unless it has been demonstrated that there will be no negative impacts on the natural features or their ecological functions.

2.1.6 Development and site alteration shall not be permitted in fish habitat except in accordance with provincial and federal requirements.

2.1.7 Development and site alteration shall not be permitted in habitat of endangered species and threatened species, except in accordance with provincial and federal requirements.

2.1.8 Development and site alteration shall not be permitted on adjacent lands to the natural heritage features and areas identified in policies 2.1.4, 2.1.5, and 2.1.6 unless the ecological function of the adjacent lands has been evaluated and it has been demonstrated that there will be no negative impacts on the natural features or on their ecological functions.

2.1.9 Nothing in policy 2.1 is intended to limit the ability of agricultural uses to continue.

2.2 Water

2.2.1 Planning authorities shall protect, improve or restore the quality and quantity of water by:

  1. using the watershed as the ecologically meaningful scale for integrated and long-term planning, which can be a foundation for considering cumulative impacts of development;
  2. minimizing potential negative impacts, including cross-jurisdictional and cross-watershed impacts;
  3. identifying water resource systems consisting of ground water features, hydrologic functions, natural heritage features and areas, and surface water features including shoreline areas, which are necessary for the ecological and hydrological integrity of the watershed;
  4. maintaining linkages and related functions among ground water features, hydrologic functions, natural heritage features and areas, and surface water features including shoreline areas;
  5. implementing necessary restrictions on development and site alteration to:
    1. protect all municipal drinking water supplies and designated vulnerable areas; and
    2. protect, improve or restore vulnerable surface and ground water, sensitive surface water features and sensitive ground water features, and their hydrologic functions;
  6. planning for efficient and sustainable use of water resources, through practices for water conservation and sustaining water quality;
  7. ensuring consideration of environmental lake capacity, where applicable; and
  8. ensuring stormwater management practices minimize stormwater volumes and contaminant loads, and maintain or increase the extent of vegetative and pervious surfaces.

2.2.2 Development and site alteration shall be restricted in or near sensitive surface water features and sensitive ground water features such that these features and their related hydrologic functions will be protected, improved or restored.

Mitigative measures and/or alternative development approaches may be required in order to protect, improve or restore sensitive surface water features, sensitive ground water features, and their hydrologic functions.

2.3 Agriculture

2.3.1 Prime agricultural areas shall be protected for long-term use for agriculture.

Prime agricultural areas are areas where prime agricultural lands predominate. Specialty crop areas shall be given the highest priority for protection, followed by Canada Land Inventory Class 1, 2, and 3 lands, and any associated Class 4 through 7 lands within the prime agricultural area, in this order of priority.

2.3.2 Planning authorities shall designate prime agricultural areas and specialty crop areas in accordance with guidelines developed by the Province, as amended from time to time.

2.3.3 Permitted uses

2.3.3.1 In prime agricultural areas, permitted uses and activities are: agricultural uses, agriculture-related uses and on-farm diversified uses.

Proposed agriculture-related uses and on-farm diversified uses shall be compatible with, and shall not hinder, surrounding agricultural operations. Criteria for these uses may be based on guidelines developed by the Province or municipal approaches, as set out in municipal planning documents, which achieve the same objectives.

2.3.3.2 In prime agricultural areas, all types, sizes and intensities of agricultural uses and normal farm practices shall be promoted and protected in accordance with provincial standards.

2.3.3.3 New land uses, including the creation of lots, and new or expanding livestock facilities shall comply with the minimum distance separation formulae.

2.3.4 Lot creation and lot adjustments

2.3.4.1 Lot creation in prime agricultural areas is discouraged and may only be permitted for:

  1. agricultural uses, provided that the lots are of a size appropriate for the type of agricultural use(s) common in the area and are sufficiently large to maintain flexibility for future changes in the type or size of agricultural operations;
  2. agriculture-related uses, provided that any new lot will be limited to a minimum size needed to accommodate the use and appropriate sewage and water services;
  3. a residence surplus to a farming operation as a result of farm consolidation, provided that:
    1. the new lot will be limited to a minimum size needed to accommodate the use and appropriate sewage and water services; and
    2. the planning authority ensures that new residential dwellings are prohibited on any remnant parcel of farmland created by the severance. The approach used to ensure that no new residential dwellings are permitted on the remnant parcel may be recommended by the Province, or based on municipal approaches which achieve the same objective; and
  4. infrastructure, where the facility or corridor cannot be accommodated through the use of easements or rights-of-way.

2.3.4.2 Lot adjustments in prime agricultural areas may be permitted for legal or technical reasons.

2.3.4.3 The creation of new residential lots in prime agricultural areas shall not be permitted, except in accordance with policy 2.3.4.1(c).

2.3.5 Removal of land from prime agricultural areas

2.3.5.1 Planning authorities may only exclude land from prime agricultural areas for expansions of or identification of settlement areas in accordance with policy 1.1.3.8.

2.3.6 Non-agricultural uses in prime agricultural areas

2.3.6.1 Planning authorities may only permit non-agricultural uses in prime agricultural areas for:

  1. extraction of minerals, petroleum resources and mineral aggregate resources, in accordance with policies 2.4 and 2.5; or
  2. limited non-residential uses, provided that all of the following are demonstrated:
    1. the land does not comprise a specialty crop area;
    2. the proposed use complies with the minimum distance separation formulae;
    3. there is an identified need within the planning horizon provided for in policy 1.1.2 for additional land to be designated to accommodate the proposed use; and
    4. alternative locations have been evaluated, and
      1. there are no reasonable alternative locations which avoid prime agricultural areas; and
      2. there are no reasonable alternative locations in prime agricultural areas with lower priority agricultural lands.

2.3.6.2 Impacts from any new or expanding non-agricultural uses on surrounding agricultural operations and lands are to be mitigated to the extent feasible.

2.4 Minerals and Petroleum

2.4.1 Minerals and petroleum resources shall be protected for long-term use.

2.4.2 Protection of long-term resource supply

2.4.2.1 Mineral mining operations and petroleum resource operations shall be identified and protected from development and activities that would preclude or hinder their expansion or continued use or which would be incompatible for reasons of public health, public safety or environmental impact.

2.4.2.2 Known mineral deposits, known petroleum resources and significant areas of mineral potential shall be identified and development and activities in these resources or on adjacent lands which would preclude or hinder the establishment of new operations or access to the resources shall only be permitted if:

  1. resource use would not be feasible; or
  2. the proposed land use or development serves a greater long-term public interest; and
  3. issues of public health, public safety and environmental impact are addressed.

2.4.3 Rehabilitation

2.4.3.1 Rehabilitation to accommodate subsequent land uses shall be required after extraction and other related activities have ceased. Progressive rehabilitation should be undertaken wherever feasible.

2.4.4 Extraction in prime agricultural areas

2.4.4.1 Extraction of minerals and petroleum resources is permitted in prime agricultural areas provided that the site will be rehabilitated.

2.5 Mineral aggregate resources

2.5.1 Mineral aggregate resources shall be protected for long-term use and, where provincial information is available, deposits of mineral aggregate resources shall be identified.

2.5.2 Protection of long-term resource supply

2.5.2.1 As much of the mineral aggregate resources as is realistically possible shall be made available as close to markets as possible.

Demonstration of need for mineral aggregate resources, including any type of supply/demand analysis, shall not be required, notwithstanding the availability, designation or licensing for extraction of mineral aggregate resources locally or elsewhere.

2.5.2.2 Extraction shall be undertaken in a manner which minimizes social, economic and environmental impacts.

2.5.2.3 Mineral aggregate resource conservation shall be undertaken, including through the use of accessory aggregate recycling facilities within operations, wherever feasible.

2.5.2.4 Mineral aggregate operations shall be protected from development and activities that would preclude or hinder their expansion or continued use or which would be incompatible for reasons of public health, public safety or environmental impact. Existing mineral aggregate operations shall be permitted to continue without the need for official plan amendment, rezoning or development permit under the Planning Act. When a license for extraction or operation ceases to exist, policy 2.5.2.5 continues to apply.

2.5.2.5 In known deposits of mineral aggregate resources and on adjacent lands, development and activities which would preclude or hinder the establishment of new operations or access to the resources shall only be permitted if:

  1. resource use would not be feasible; or
  2. the proposed land use or development serves a greater long-term public interest; and
  3. issues of public health, public safety and environmental impact are addressed.

2.5.3 Rehabilitation

2.5.3.1 Progressive and final rehabilitation shall be required to accommodate subsequent land uses, to promote land use compatibility, to recognize the interim nature of extraction, and to mitigate negative impacts to the extent possible. Final rehabilitation shall take surrounding land use and approved land use designations into consideration.

2.5.3.2 Comprehensive rehabilitation planning is encouraged where there is a concentration of mineral aggregate operations.

2.5.3.3 In parts of the Province not designated under the Aggregate Resources Act, rehabilitation standards that are compatible with those under the Act should be adopted for extraction operations on private lands.

2.5.4 Extraction in prime agricultural areas

2.5.4.1 In prime agricultural areas, on prime agricultural land, extraction of mineral aggregate resources is permitted as an interim use provided that the site will be rehabilitated back to an agricultural condition.

Complete rehabilitation to an agricultural condition is not required if:

  1. outside of a specialty crop area, there is a substantial quantity of mineral aggregate resources below the water table warranting extraction, or the depth of planned extraction in a quarry makes restoration of pre-extraction agricultural capability unfeasible;
  2. in a specialty crop area, there is a substantial quantity of high quality mineral aggregate resources below the water table warranting extraction, and the depth of planned extraction makes restoration of pre-extraction agricultural capability unfeasible;
  3. other alternatives have been considered by the applicant and found unsuitable. The consideration of other alternatives shall include resources in areas of Canada Land Inventory Class 4 through 7 lands, resources on lands identified as designated growth areas, and resources on prime agricultural lands where rehabilitation is feasible. Where no other alternatives are found, prime agricultural lands shall be protected in this order of priority: specialty crop areas, Canada Land Inventory Class 1, 2 and 3 lands; and
  4. agricultural rehabilitation in remaining areas is maximized.

2.5.5 Wayside pits and quarries, portable asphalt plants and portable concrete plants

2.5.5.1 Wayside pits and quarries, portable asphalt plants and portable concrete plants used on public authority contracts shall be permitted, without the need for an official plan amendment, rezoning, or development permit under the Planning Act in all areas, except those areas of existing development or particular environmental sensitivity which have been determined to be incompatible with extraction and associated activities.

2.6 Cultural heritage and archaeology

2.6.1 Significant built heritage resources and significant cultural heritage landscapes shall be conserved.

2.6.2 Development and site alteration shall not be permitted on lands containing archaeological resources or areas of archaeological potential unless significant archaeological resources have been conserved.

2.6.3 Planning authorities shall not permit development and site alteration on adjacent lands to protected heritage property except where the proposed development and site alteration has been evaluated and it has been demonstrated that the heritage attributes of the protected heritage property will be conserved.

2.6.4 Planning authorities should consider and promote archaeological management plans and cultural plans in conserving cultural heritage and archaeological resources.

2.6.5 Planning authorities shall consider the interests of Aboriginal communities in conserving cultural heritage and archaeological resources.

1 Ecoregions 5E, 6E and 7E are shown on Figure 1.